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The PGA Tour heads to Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, this week for the 2024 Cognizant Classic, which will be played from Thursday, Feb. 29 to Sunday, Mar. 3 at the PGA National Members Club.
The Cognizant Classic will be a regular 144-player field featuring 19 of the top 50 ranked golfers in the world. The likes of Rory McIlroy, Matt Fitzpatrick, Cameron Young, and defending champion Chris Kirk will be in action this week.
In this article, we look at five names to watch at PGA National this week.
Five players to watch at the 2024 Cognizant Classic
1) Rory McIlroy
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Rory McIlroy is the highest-ranked golfer in this week's field for the Cognizant Classic. The World No. 2 golfer will return to the event after a hiatus of six years.
Last month, McIlroy said that he's planning to play more events en route the Masters Tournament week to be more prepared. For the uninitiated, it remains the only major he has yet to win.
The four-time Major champion is a former champion at Palm Beach Gardens. He won the event in 2012 after beating Tiger Woods and Tom Gillis by two strokes. Moreover, he also lost in a playoff in 2012. In nine starts at the Cognizant Classic, he has made seven cuts but has missed twice in his last three appearances.
2) Chris Kirk
Last year, Kirk's win was unprecedented, as he hadn't won a title in eight years. Nevertheless, his playoff win over rookie Eric Cole became quite an inspirational story for all golf fans, given his battle with alcoholism and depression.
The Cognizant Classic win gave Kirk newfound confidence, and it didn't take him long to win again on the Tour. He started the 2024 season with a bang, winning the Sentry, the first Signature event of the year.
This year, Kirk has won the Sentry, the first signature event of the season. He's 4-for-5 this season, and it won't be a surprise if he defends his title this week.
3) Daniel Berger
Daniel Berger is not one of the favorites to win the Cognizant Classic, and there's no reason to put him among them, but his record at the event says that he might have had a good week.
Berger returned to the PGA Tour with the American Express last month. This was his first event since the 2022 US Open, after which he was forced to stay out of action due to injury.
In past appearances at the event, Berger has faced a playoff defeat, lost after having a five-stroke 54-hole lead and also finished joint fourth. Since his comeback, Berger has missed just one cut in three starts, though.
4) Min Woo Lee
According to Sportsline, Min Woo Lee is listed at +3000 to win the Cognizant Classic. Last year, he finished tied for 26th in his debut at the event.
Lee earned his PGA Tour card last year after collecting the necessary points as a non-member. It was a successful year for him, highlighted by victories at the Macao Open and the Australian PGA Championship.
While Lee has not yet replicated last year's success this season, his talent suggests that a breakthrough could come at any moment.
5) Jake Knapp
Jake Knapp took just five starts in his rookie season to win on the PGA Tour. Last week, he put up a dominating performance to register a two-shot win at the Mexico Open.
He had also made a joint third-place finish at the Farmers Insurance Open last month. With many top names in action at the Cognizant Classic, it will be interesting to see how Knapp will perform after tasting success on the PGA Tour.
